Digital Marketing – Key Vocabulary

Digital Marketing Overview

What is Marketing?

• Marketing fundamentally creates value for individuals by:

  • Developing products.

  • Communicating product benefits.

  • Delivering products and services.

  • These offerings should fulfill consumer needs.

What is Digital Marketing?

• Digital marketing promotes products/services via digital channels, capitalizing on high screen time.

• It involves:

  • Online advertising.

  • Search engine optimization (SEO).

  • Social media marketing.

  • Content creation.

• The goal is to connect brands with their target consumers.

Establishing a Strong Brand Connection

• The aim is to deeply understand consumer needs and provide value before seeking returns.

• Six key ways to establish a strong connection:

  • Creating digital content.

  • Engaging in social and digital media.

  • Enabling search discoverability.

  • Leveraging tools and technologies.

Creating Digital Content

• Brands can connect with their audience digitally in numerous ways.

• Content should align with where the target audience is already active (e.g., podcasts, search engines, social media).

• Focus on platforms where marketers can significantly impact the target audience.

• The goal should be to improve people's lives through compelling content (e.g., making them laugh, teaching them something).

Engaging in Social Media

• Marketers can now create their media through social channels (e.g., YouTube).

• Reach consumers by being present where they are and providing value when they seek it.

• Different platforms require different content types (video, audio, text, images).

• A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• SEO helps people find brands and information to improve their lives.

• It relies on understanding user intent: what are they trying to do at that moment?

• Provide the answer they need precisely when they need it.

• Achieve this through:

  • Free SEO techniques.

  • Paid search engine marketing (requires campaign management).

Amplifying Brand Content via Content Creators

• Influencer marketing leverages decentralized content creation.

• Content is outsourced to brand advocates and loyal fans.

• Content from creators feels more genuine.

• Ratings and reviews are critical for consumer purchasing decisions.

• Amplifying the message through content creators is vital.

Building Rich Site and App Experiences (UX)

• Brands are increasingly selling directly to consumers (DTC).

• This allows for capturing customer data previously held by retailers/wholesalers.

• The user experience created by the brand is critical.

• Interfaces should be simple and elegant across devices (mobile, PC).

Innovating Through New Technologies

• Marketing is about innovation, especially in digital marketing.

• Evolve with social media (e.g., from Facebook to TikTok).

• Engage with emerging tech like the Internet of Things (IoT).

• Explore nascent areas like blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Skills for Effective Digital Marketers

• Collective Marketing Approach: Build brand identity with a large support network.

• Digital Footprint: Aim for positive reviews and mentions across platforms like Yelp.

• Market Awareness: Differentiate the brand's message from the noise.

• Continuous Innovation: Embrace improvement in product design, campaigns, and tactics.

• Problem-Solving: Focus on identifying and solving problems.

• Compelling Content: Craft content that demonstrates the brand's unique selling points (e.g., low prices, high quality).

• Understanding Intent: Anticipate user needs and provide the best answers.

• Measuring Success: Identify key metrics and use tools like Google Analytics.

• Protecting Consumer Data: Safeguard consumer information to maintain trust.

Digital Marketing Job Opportunities

• Digital marketing has a high growth rate.

• Examples of roles:

  • Digital marketing specialists.

  • SEO specialists.

  • Social media managers.

  • Digital content creators (video editing, writing, podcasting).

  • User experience (UX) professionals.

  • Data science specialists.

Typical Digital Marketing Job Titles

• Content Manager

• SEO/SEM Manager

• Internet of Things Specialist

• Bot Development

• Social Media Manager

• eCommerce Manager

• Marketing Manager

Digital Advertising Overview

Definition

• Digital advertising promotes brands, products, or services through digital channels.

• Key aspect: Promotion.

• Promotion distinguishes advertising from broader digital marketing strategies (e.g., content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing).

Key Advertising Concepts

• SEO (Paid Search)

• Cost Per Click (CPC)

• Cost Per Mile (CPM)

• Cost Per Action (CPA)

SEO / Paid Search

• SEO generally means ranking higher in search results.

• Advertisers can pay to appear first via sponsored posts.

• Example: Searching "running shoes" and seeing Nike or On Running ads at the top.

• Keywords have a bidding process so the highest bidder appears first.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

• Advertisers pay each time an ad is clicked.

• Formula: CPC = \frac{Media Cost}{Number of Clicks}

Cost Per Mile (CPM)

• Cost for one thousand impressions.

• Formula: CPM = \frac{Media Cost}{Impressions} * 1000

Conversions / Cost Per Action (CPA)

• Conversion (according to Google Ads) is when a user performs a specific action after clicking or viewing an ad.

• Examples: Downloading an app, booking an appointment, purchasing a product.

• Formula: CPA = \frac{Media Cost}{Number of Actions}

Developing a Digital Marketing Strategy for Sports Organizations

Importance of Digital Marketing Strategy

• Cited as "the most important part of the marketing mix."

• Influences all four P's (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).

Definition of Digital Marketing Strategy

• A plan for establishing an Internet presence via:

  • Organic search

  • Social media

  • Paid ads

  • Other web-based mediums

Framework for Digital Marketing Strategy

• Based on framework from Indal and Joshi:

  • Content marketing

  • Social media marketing

  • SEO

  • Email marketing

  • Website development

Content Marketing

• Creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract a defined audience.

• Three Hallmarks:

  • Valuable: Viewer must get something of value (entertainment, knowledge).

  • Relevant: Content must connect with the target audience.

  • Consistent: Must have a plan for when content will be posted.

• Content is the foundation of search, social, email, and paid traffic campaigns.

Social Media Marketing

• Using social media to increase brand awareness, identify audiences, generate leads, and build relationships.

• Four Goals:

  • Increase brand awareness.

  • Identify key audiences and generate leads.

  • Build meaningful relationships with customers.

• Tactics:

  • Social Listening: Monitoring brand mentions and feedback.

  • Social Influencing: Showcasing expertise and thought leadership.

  • Social Networking: Building communities around a brand or idea.

  • Social Selling: Selling products directly through social media.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

• Improving visibility within search engines.

• Showing up higher on search engines like Google.

• Bridge between brand and consumer.

• Most people only look at the first few search results.

• Keywords are crucial for SEO.

• Search engines use algorithms to match searches to website keywords.

Email Marketing

• Marketing via sending email messages from an author to recipients.

• Unique Value: Track repeat, sustained user attention.

• Email marketing provides direct data such as who opens emails and what they click.

• It gives quantifiable metrics not available in other marketing forms.

Website Development

• A collection of interconnected electronic pages that provide information about a company, product, organization, cause, or individual.

• Key Question: What is the purpose of our organization's website?

• Website strategy should align with company goals.

• Nike and The Phoenix Suns are examples of sports organizations but they have distinct goals and customer profiles. The Phoenix Suns is for getting to know players, coaches and becoming part of the NBA ecosystem.